Manneken-Pis

Type:  The Bucket list, Fun & quirky

This 17th century bronze statue by J. Duquesnoy is an iconic symbol of the absurd, ironic Brussels spirit. Manneken-Pis, which means 'little peeing man' in Marols, a dialect spoken in Brussels, is also sometimes called 'Kleine Julien' and known in French as 'le Petit Julien'. Previously, Manneken-Pis was just one of the numerous fountains that provided water to the city. Now, he's a legendary figure. One of the most famous legends about Manneken-Pis is the one about Duke Godfrey III of Leuven. In 1142, the troops of this two-year-old lord were battling against the troops of the Berthouts, the lords of Grimbergen, in Ransbeke (now Neder-over-Heembeek). The troops put the infant lord in a basket and hung the basket in a tree to encourage them. From there, the boy urinated on the troops of the Berthouts, who eventually lost the battle. Manneken-Pis is also known for his sartorial splendor. His wardrobe consists of more than 600 costumes. Many of these Manneken-Pis costumes may be viewed at a permanent exhibition inside the City Museum, located at the nearby Grand Place. Manneken-Pis received his first costume in 1698 from the Elector of Beieren. The statue was stolen several times. In 1817 the statue was stolen by a released French prisoner and later found in pieces. The statue that now stands on the antique fountain was repaired with these pieces. The 58 cm tall guy stands on a pedestal at the corner of the Stoofstraat and the Eikstraat, not far from the Grote Markt of Brussel. A little known fact is that Manneken-Pis has a 'sister' - 'Jeanneke Pis' - is a half-metre-high statue of a little girl with her hair in short pigtails, squatting and urinating, apparently very contentedly. It is located on the east side of the Impasse de la Fidélité/Getrouwheidsgang (Fidelity Alley), a narrow 'cul-de-sac' some 30 metres long leading northwards off the restaurant-packed 'Rue des Bouchers'/'Beenhouwersstraat'.